In last week's budget, the chancellor George Osborne, said: "For years people have felt that the whole system was tilted against those who did the right thing: who worked, who saved, who aspired."

Did Osborne stop to consider the 5.7 million public sector workers in this country, all of whom work, save and perhaps even "aspire" – and yet who are now feeling the full impact of his attack on their organisations' budgets, on their pay and on their pensions?

No, he did not. Politicians in this government do not appear to believe that public sector employees are members of Osborne's beloved "aspiration nation". Instead, they are subject to what Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, calls the "politics of derision". They have been attacked by the prime minister for being "enemies of enterprise" and derided by government ministers for, allegedly, "blocking" government policy.

Being under fire has made public servants' lives miserable enough. But Osborne has really turned the screw. Public sector pay, frozen or capped at 1%, is unlikely to be increased this side of the general election, while unions are furious at the government's threat to phase out automatic pay progression in the public sector.

The government's raid on public sector pensions has continued; public sector staff will pay higher national insurance contributions as they "absorb the burden", in the chancellor's words, of the introduction of the single-tier national pension.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public Services and Commercial (PCS) union, whose members were on strike on budget day and will be on strike again on 5 April, has warned of a "rolling programme of walkouts and disruptive action" in response to a government that won't listen to its workforce.

Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA, which represents the most senior civil servants, expressed his members' fury at being "taken for granted" and said there was a real danger of losing the very managers the government needs to deliver world-class public services. "FDA members have seen massive job cuts, their pay frozen, the imposition of a pension levy and now an extended pay cap," he said, adding that it was no wonder two-thirds of senior civil servants were looking for jobs elsewhere.

Even accountants KPMG, hardly a hotbed of union activism, said the decision to drive up NI contributions would put further strain on employee engagement. Steve Simkins, KPMG's head of public sector pensions, said it would be little comfort to public sector staff to have promises of better pensions later on. "The simple fact is that most will be smarting [at the increase]," he said.

How on earth are public managers to keep up morale in their workforce against this backdrop of unrelenting gloom?

Surprisingly, perhaps, they may not have to work too hard. Despite a concerted onslaught since June 2010 on public sector budgets, jobs, pensions and working conditions, the best available evidence suggests that public sector morale is holding up. There are a number of possible reasons. Some commentators point to the fact that the public sector remains a reasonable employer. The sector still has unions, after all, and staff still receive some training. Others such as Ben Page, managing director of Ipsos Mori, say the public is still happy with the quality of public services. Despite library closures and other cuts, net public satisfaction with councils is as high as at any time over the past 30 years, according to the pollster – and providing services that people like, he says, is a powerful motivator.

Two-thirds of senior civil servants want to leave their jobs, yet many public sector staff still report being satisfied with their work. Is there a crisis or not? We want you to tell us on Wednesday 27 March